San Juan, the capital of the free state of Puerto Rico, is the economic and cultural center. It is located on the northeast coast of Puerto Rico and in San Juan Bay, the largest port on the island. The port is wide and narrow, making it an important maritime transportation hub between the Atlantic and Caribbean Seas. The city was founded in 1508, and the original inhabitants of the Indians called it Poliken. In 1521, it was occupied by Spanish colonizer J. Ponce de León and built a city on the island at the entrance to the bay, called Puerto Rico, which in Spanish means "the port of wealth." The entire island of Puerto Rico was called San Juan Island. The Spaniards used this place as a stronghold to resist the battle of British and Dutch colonists. The name of the island and the port were exchanged later, the port was called San Juan, and the island was called Puerto Rico. Since 1898, San Juan has been occupied by the United States military.